The Lexaeus Reports
by MadScientist4
Summary: Based upon the concept of the Ansem/Secret Reports, Lexaeus records his daily life in Organization XIII and the shenanigans he finds himself in. What goes on in the Silent Hero's mind as he observes the antics of his comrades? Author intends to include all members into the reports, including Xion.
1. Report I

Lexaeus Reports, 2.0

MadScientist4, 456vlz

August 2015

It's come to my attention that my usefulness to the Organization altered. Contrary to my prowess, the Superior requested me personally for a top secret mission. I cannot help but wonder what he wants me to do that cannot be accomplished by our second-in-command. I was sure to not be excited, but eager to understand the importance of this mission.

I met the Superior at the Altar of Naught. As of yet, there was nothing to view but the intricacy of the castle below. Admittedly, I never took Xemnas as someone who enjoyed urban landscapes. Naturally, he continued to gaze into the darkness around us, expecting something to emerge from it. Only when I stood a few yards away did he notice me.

"You have arrived, Lexaeus," he greeted. "Timely as ever."

I said nothing, for he usually gives melodramatic speeches that painfully detail what he could easily say in fewer words.

For example:

"I have entrusted you with a mission that no one else can do—someone who plays no particular role in the Organization. In order to fulfill our purpose, we need to maximize our efficiency. We need to understand what further defines a Nobody. Once that is discovered, our path to Kingdom Hearts will be clear."

"Yes, sir," I paused initially before asking, "How do you suggest we proceed?"

"While having discussions daily is ideal, we need to be discreet. Even Nobodies despite their surveillance. I see very little of what truly occurs within the Organization beyond what Saïx deems newsworthy. I do not trust him to provide me with realistic content of our progress." Now I understand the discretion.

"I can collect the reports for Saïx and place my observations with them. He will give them to you as usual."

He smiled, more to himself than me, whatever little scheme he had progressed from my future efforts. So long as it does not result in my elimination, I will remain content.

I later found myself at the Grey Area, where the majority of us spend our time off. I seated myself on a sofa, taking a minute to observe my surroundings: Demyx vividly retold a story to Axel and Roxas, despite the duo's lack of interest. Xigbar stirred conflict with Larxene across from them, though I cannot imagine why he would antagonize her. Knowing how mischievous Xigbar once was, I have no desire to investigate, not even for the new mission.

On a hopefully more pleasant note, Luxord persuaded Xaldin and Marluxia to a card came; I accidentally made eye contact with the gambler and was invited to play. I complied, though I do not enjoy high stakes gambling. Although Luxord does not knowingly cheat, I can never help but suspect that the field is uneven. Lately, there have been a few confrontations between him and the rest of us over winnings and close calls. Thankfully, none required extreme interventions; it also takes little time for before the player and Luxord resume good terms.

The moment I seated myself across from Xaldin, I could tell that this was not an episode of good-terms card games. Tension was thick among the three of them. Marluxia appeared the most sullen—he glowered at Luxord. I glanced at Xaldin; while he was displeased wit the games so far, he was not preparing to stab the dealer.

Xaldin and I worked together as guards at Radiant Garden; I knew him a long time before we joined the Organization. Through our days, while we are certainly not best friends, we mastered a few nonverbal signals. While Luxord dealt our hands, the lancer glanced at Marluxia, then back at me. I nodded in response.

Neither Luxord or Marluxia noticed, as the gambler continued the simple game of blackjack. I lost horribly, but it was not the end of the world as I was already aware of my inevitable defeat. Xaldin, more competitive than myself, frowned as he nearly won—closer than me, but not as close as Marluxia.

There was the main feature: Marluxia seethed in his lack of control over the outcome, while Luxord grinned, prepared to lay down his fate with no hesitation.

"Blackjack!" he declared, playing a card down. While he politely celebrated, the assassin slowly rose, his hand opened. Xaldin and I stood up quickly—I thrust an arm in front of Marluxia.

"It's not worth it," I warned; despite that, he summoned his scythe. He struggled to go around me to his target, but I held him at bay.

"I'm not a cheater!" Luxord exclaimed behind Xaldin.

"Liar!"

"What is going on?" someone shouted.

I nearly lost my balance as Marluxia teleported from the scene. Once I composed myself, I turned to Xaldin to discover Luxord followed suit.

"A card game gone awry," Xaldin replied in a gruff voice. "Go back to your business, nothing to see here."

Evidently, all conversations stopped when Marluxia tried to attack. It's out of our hands though, so long as the Grey Area remains in pristine condition, no one minds if there's a small duel. Additionally, the duel must be kept secret from Saïx.

Hopefully this is what Xemnas requested, as Luxord would never consider challenging him to a game of cards and Marluxia lacks the audacity to confront someone in front of the Superior. I still do not understand why a simple mission such as this must remain top secret.


	2. Report II

Report II

For the past several days I went on solo missions that kept me from continuing my secret mission. I have yet to keep tabs on the affairs of the castle, though I considered employing assistance. It's not possible, not yet. I am unaware of the Superior's ulterior motives. I am unsure why he is so concerned with menial issues or how well everyone collaborates. Is there not a simpler way than me writing these reports in secret, to the point where I have the task of collecting everyone else's reports in order to exchange messages with Xemnas?

I had little time to consider the secret mission, as I spent most of my time on arrival collecting reports. The kind gesture was not received well by Saïx, who enjoys taking control of affairs much more than expected. His chiding remarks do not bother me; hence he is just as emotional as myself. It is the rising tension between us that gives me concern. I arrived in the Grey Area, prepared for another mission, reports in hand. The reports and missions seemed almost tedious from what I skimmed, but we must do our part to reach our goal. On the way to Saïx, I was interrupted by a poor sobbing Nobody.

"Lexaeus! You gotta help me!" Demyx tugged at my coat sleeve. "X-face just gave me an impossible mission!" I raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was truly difficult or if the musician was too lazy to do the work by himself. "I have to conduct recon in the Underworld by participating in one of those nasty tournaments!" he continued. "I can't do it alone! Will you PLEASE help me?"

I glanced at Saïx briefing a few of our comrades, then back to Demyx. Most of us left at this point, my mission is likely to be solo. Helping Demyx will aid my mission from the Superior. In the end, I agreed.

He took me to the Underworld, crowded with a host of warriors whom I believe to be beyond the musician's abilities. I turned to him, his hands on his face, hiding from the upcoming tournament.

"Do not fear them," I advised.

"But how!? Look at them!" he dramatically pointed in their general direction; they paid no heed to Demyx's outburst.

"Demyx, comparing yourself to them will not aid your cause. Remember, you are in Organization XIII. They are not."

Nothing seemed to motivate this kid. I pitied him—a little more than necessary in hindsight. I took him to an isolated area in the caves.

"What are we doing here?" he asked nervously. "The tournament's over there!"

"If I am to participate, it is to be your support. " His bright face fell when he realized he was required to work. "You need your strength. There will be times when no one can help." I summoned my weapon.

Training Demyx was not difficult, it was obvious that he dislikes fighting, which alongside his lacking confidence contributes to his weaknesses as a warrior. The training montage was brief; I taught him a few defensive maneuvers of my own and showed him how to throw his sitar. After plenty of assurances that no damage could be done to it, of course, though he seemed to prefer to summon water clones to do the most damage. Just from the extra time he practiced, Demyx improved.

"Shall we then?" I suggested, deeming the training adequate for the day.

"Let's get this over with! Why did Saïx choose me for this?" he whined.

The tournament itself was easy—though I played the primary role more often than preferred. Demyx did well when he knew he could defeat his opponent; even if a few I beat down and gave my subordinate the final attack. Most of the opponents were groups of Heartless with unique team names; for such mindless creatures, I am surprised that they are able to sign up for tournaments and cooperate long enough to defeat their opponents.

We made it to the semifinals; Demyx was excited, as if we were capable of expressing strong emotions. It seemed to be a defining moment for him. If he relishes the moment, he may finally cease the laziness and become a productive comrade.

"Look at that!" he pointed to our names on the roster as he repeatedly performed a victory dance. "We did it! We're INVINCIBLE!"

I can't imagine what his reaction will be when we take a victory in the finals. It should be compelling. I might be excited as well. Demyx did not bother to see who we needed to face in the semifinals; these opponents may prove difficult, even for me.

Not all of the combatants for the semi-finals were named just yet: the last competition was still in progress. We were unable to view it from where we stood, however, we could feel the ground trembling beneath our feet.

"Do you think we'll have to fight that guy?" Demyx asked shyly.

I nodded, focused on the explosions at the Underdrome; I could not imagine what horrors set upon the spectators. It was unsettling at the very least, I am sure that Demyx retracted his statement on our invincibility. Screams were not audible, not even the battle cries of the warriors, just continuous rumbling and explosions.

Everything ceased just as quickly as it started, the audience cheered for the victor. It must have been a tremendous battle, I wish I could have seen it. Several minutes later, one of the tournament announcers relayed a message for us: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the semifinals are postponed until further notice."

Demyx groaned, raising his hands in the air to strangle a reason out of it. I hate to admit it, but I was also disappointed. This would have been a great opportunity to enhance this report on my time with Demyx: when we returned to the Grey Area, he expressed his gratitude more times than necessary. He genuinely thought this was his last day. Is it concerning if I continually pity him? The boy is weak, but surely his report about today contains many details of whatever he was supposed to find today—he neglected to inform me, and I did not bother to ask.

Note to Superior: we should evaluate was motivates the others. For Demyx, a boost in confidence was all he needed. Also, do not place him on missions as a warrior. He lacks aggression.

Thanks everyone for reading this installment of "The Lexaeus Reports!" I really do appreciate it. Please R&R, I would love to improve as a writer. Writing as the Silent Hero (I ignored the new translation of his title) is a challenge, but a good one.


	3. Report III

Hey everyone, thanks for reading the previous reports! Please don't forget to Read and Review! I'd love to hear your constructive feedback!

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Report III

It took little time for my assistance with Demyx to be known around the castle. While some reactions were positive—Luxord made some kind of gambling pun on our chances of victory and Xigbar considered entering with us for his own amusement. Others were negative—Xaldin questioned my so-called "need" to help the musician. Considering that between the two of us, I played "good cop" before the Organization, his comment was expected and meant little to me.

Saïx was the most negative, almost irritated. His hair did not stand up on end just yet. He spoke down to me, as he usually did, lecturing me on how he had a mission for me yesterday, yet I chose to respond to Demyx's whining instead. He was insistent that I request permission to aid others; he concluded with accusing me, Lexaeus, of inhibiting Kingdom Hearts' progress. It is just as ludicrous as it sounds. However, I said nothing to my defense, and handed in everyone else's reports without a word, my excuse tucked into the stack. Saïx offered no chances for me to explain myself anyway.

"I will report this to the Superior," he concluded in a threatening voice. Honestly, I did not care. His threats don't frighten me. "I have nothing else for you. Good day."

The second-in-command turned to address another Nobody. No missions today, as if that was a horrifying punishment. This provided me an opportunity to complete my secret mission.

I positioned myself in the far corner of the Grey Area usually reserved for Vexen to pace when he needed to leave the laboratory. There were quite a few of us remaining—Xigbar continued to harass Demyx about his transition into a warrior-type; Axel and Roxas made plans after their missions. They always have plans, though I never inquired on them. Would their post-mission activities prove to be a worthy addition into my report?

"You're taking the day off quite well, Lexaeus," Zexion approached me in mid-thought.

The young man is one of my closest comrades—not in brotherhood or anything beyond—but as someone who has great understanding of the Organization and a terrific work ethic. Our goals are similar, though he is manipulative and I am more direct.

"I have much to do in the meanwhile," I replied, toying with the idea of informing him on the secret mission. Not here, however. For all I know, he is already aware of it.

"Yes, we have to prepare for Castle Oblivion," the schemer replied matter-of-factly. "Yet we still don't know who is stationed there."

I nodded in agreement, there was very little we knew about the mission in Castle Oblivion. Are my reports to influence who will move there?

"Has there been any information released about the objective?"

Just as we poised to discuss possible objectives, the typical occupant of the open space accosted us.

"What are you doing here, chatting when there's work to be done?" he demanded. How could something so early in the day put him in a callous mood? Vexen's large green eyes stared daggers at us, one of his attempts at intimidating us.

"We were merely discussing Castle Oblivion," Zexion explained plainly. Between the two of us, Zexion dealt with Vexen's temper the most before the Organization. I made my encounters with Even minimal when able, he was an annoyance when he had nothing to research.

"What of it? It means nothing until we know who's leaving!" he huffed as he looked around the Grey Area.

"That's what we were just discussing, actually," Zexion replied, watching the scientist continued to search the area from where we stood. "Who are you searching for?"

"I'm waiting for Saïx. I must speak to him."

"You prefer to see the Superior?"

"No," Vexen's tone changed from irksome to almost fearful. His cowardice in the Superior's presence was curious, I will admit. I am unsure of their origins; though this fear is understandable, Xemnas is capable of defeating all of us without hesitation. "I don't need him," he added, barely above a whisper. "Not yet."

Zexion and I exchanged concerned expressions as we watched our comrade alternate between glancing at Saïx and the exit of the lounge; he tapped his foot in impatience. At any time, it would be typical Vexen behavior to start pacing, as tapping his foot rarely satisfies his need to express anxiety and frustration. Too late. He took off on his usual line, giving very little time for Zexion and me to maneuver out of the way. We continued to observe his pacing; he occasionally stopped to glance at Saïx, then at the door again before resuming is usual path.

By now, Larxene was left with Saïx. It was clear that the two were not discussing an oncoming mission based upon the duration of their conversation; this only made Vexen even more nervous. His glances were longer and his pace quickened. Just when Zexion and I considered investigating, Larxene teleported from the room and Vexen made a bee-line to Saïx before the second-in-command could take a breath.

Zexion and I exchanged bewildered glances.

"What happened to him?" I pondered.

"It's strange to see him this flustered," Zexion observed. He paused for a moment, then continued. "Even stranger that he refused to speak to the Superior. What could upset him enough that he needed the second-in-command instead?"

We gazed at Vexen and Saïx: their conversation was hushed, Vexen began to use his hands to convey his stress. The two teleported out of the room, leaving Zexion and myself alone in the room.

"I suppose we will not interfere," I suggested. "It could be a minor issue."

"No worth our time, after all, we have work to do."

I was sure of his busy work schedule, but unless I find more of our comrades, I may have little to do today. I suppose I could find the Superior and clear up my infraction, however unimportant it truly is in the grand scheme of obtaining Kingdom Hearts. I continued to stroll around the castle to find other Nobodies; I found no one, not even Vexen. Whatever issue he had made itself absent with him.

Just as I was about to give up my search and rest for tomorrow's mission, I heard someone call my name.

"Lexaeus! What a lucky man to have the day off!" I turned to see Luxord approaching me. I said nothing as I already knew what he was going to ask—he shuffled cards in his hands. "Have time for a game of cards?" I reluctantly agreed, having little desire to gamble my Munny away, especially with no one else present to take damage. What does Luxord do with the winnings anyway?

We convened in the empty Grey Area, seated across from each other. He dealt the hand this turn; I attempted to be interested in the game, but when I know my fate as the loser of this round, it is difficult to be eager to play.

"Lost again! Lady Luck is indeed at my side," Luxord cheered for himself. He reached for the money on the coffee table, then paused. He pulled back to his seat and smiled. "Betting Munny isn't your cup of tea, I notice. Take it back, I've acquired plenty from our friends." I happily placed the Munny back in my pocket. "Now, I have a bet intended for you only. Since no one else is here, I will let you in on a secret. All you have to do is win. Take as many tries as you please."

I am rarely interested in secrets, though I discover most of them through Zexion. If this happens to be something unknown to the schemer, I can gain some satisfaction.

I agreed to the gamble, but I may have bet my patience more than anything else. The losses staggered, the games lasted into the afternoon. I feared that our comrades would return, or worse yet, Saïx would disrupt our game before I was able to obtain confidential information. Luxord's competitive nature only increased, as if he used the secret to taunt me into wasting my free day. The secret had to be important enough and relevant to me if he offered me a share on the secret.

Just when I was prepared to give up, I finally won. Whatever mistake Luxord made, it was fatal. I appeared as perplexed as the gambler.

"Well…ahh… Congratulations Lexaeus," he finally uttered. "I never expected anyone to beat me at my own game," he revealed to me that the games have been rigged for the past several weeks, since he received the information he was about to tell me. "I believe Marluxia is the only other person who knows about my little secret. After today, you will be in possession of it. Speak of it to no one." He motioned for me to lean in as he confessed, "I know who's going to be in charge of Castle Oblivion. It's Marluxia."

Note to Superior: I do not want to press you on the matter, but can you confirm this information?

* * *

Bum bum buuuuummmmm! What will the consequences be? Is Lexaeus the great secret keeper? What will he do next? Stay turned and find out! Thank you all for reading!


	4. Report IV

AUTHOR'S NOTE!: Thanks for reading! I want to write a little note here-this story is not meant to fit into anywhere in the cannon storyline. I originally planned on it, but for my next plot lines for Lexaeus, he will have to adjust to living outside of any point of the story. If I figure out a way to make the story more chronological to the storyline, then I will certainly do so. I will announce any edits at the author's note. Thank you for your patience!

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Report IV

Nothing worth mentioning occurred for the rest of yesterday—I took a little time for myself. Zexion spent enough time working that he forgot about Vexen's erratic behavior until we saw him again in the Grey Area; he refused to stand still in one area, as if someone was watching him. If I had not already committed my time after today's mission, I would investigate the incident further; however, I must leave that to Zexion.

Demyx eagerly waited for me to return from my mission—he gleefully leapt from his spot on the couch and ran towards me, his hands waving in the air.

"The semi-finals are today! Hurry! Let's go!"

We teleported to the Underworld with enough time to confirm our place in the semifinals; I was thankful that neither of us needed to see the Moogle before the tournament. Now that our potential as champions was a reality for the musician, he bothered to see who were to face: Hercules, the hero of this world. Demyx apparently finds the demigod intimidating—I naturally do not, though I fear that he may be a match for me.

"There are two of us and one opponent," I reminded Demyx as we waited for the signal to begin. While the crowd primarily rooted for Hercules, I had to instill the mentality of a possible victory into my comrade.

Demyx nervously approached the hero, took a deep breath, and gave him the challenge of defeating his water clones within a time limit. I remained to the side as support and occasionally protected isolated clones. With seconds to spare, Hercules defeated the clones; I stepped in by shooting rocks from the ground under his feet; he lost his balance and took some HP.

And thus, our battle commenced.

Our coordination was uncanny; after several off-report practices, Demyx gained enough confidence to stand up for himself. While his strength is not as overwhelming as my own, he certainly did his share of Hercules' defeat; after a similar combination of water clones, rocks shooting from the ground, jets of water, and our combined strength, the demigod and hero of Olympus was unable to continue fighting.

Despite how major the upset was to the spectators, Hercules genuinely appreciated a challenge in the tournaments; evidently, he typically wins titles and defeats all of the deplorable monsters Hades employ for the demigod's downfall.

-Just for a note for the Superior, while we were capable of completing Hades' task for him, we chose not to for the sake of maintaining a degree of secrecy during the mission.-

Anyway, during the brief intermission where I replenished our items, I asked Demyx to wait by the board to see who we would face in the finals. In the midst of my transaction with the local Moogle, I heard a loud, high-pitched cry of despair coming from the board. Calmly, I approached the devastated musician; he was on his knees, hands covering his face.

"Look at the board!" he whined.

I was tempted to mimic the musician, but so little that one would need Vexen's microscope to find that desire. Prospects were dreadful, nonetheless: we were to face Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

I said nothing in reaction, for my mind raced with ways to encourage my pupil. There were few words, but none worthy of being uttered.

"Did you even see who HE defeated?!" he added, still over-reacting to the hopeless challenge.

I examined the board to see that Sora and his friends defeated Cloud, who according to Demyx is a warrior even stronger than Hercules with a darker backstory. I would rather fight both of them at once than Sora.

"Do I have to defeat them by myself?" This may be a defining moment for Demyx. At the beginning of this escapade, I would expect him to ask if I had the kindness to fight them on his behalf. Despite his continuing reputation as a slothful neophyte, he proved his worth to me through his efforts in this tournament.

"No. I will fight alongside you."

Superior, you must forgive me for the latter section of this report. There was little Demyx or myself could have done to prevent such a catastrophe; we had no intentions of causing that much destruction.

After completing some post-mission intel, the reason the semifinals were postponed was due to Sora's calamitous tendencies in every world he visits; not only does he interfere with the affairs of all worlds he visits, but he also lays ruin where he steps. At the time, neither of us were aware of the degree of Sora's destruction; our focus was on the championship.

Demyx and I performed our usual combat maneuvers: he performed a musical number while Sora defeated water clones under a time limit, and I defeated Sora's companions, yet they continued to fight with what little HP they had. Our coordination was brief; however, after occupying my time with Donald and Goofy, I neglected to check on Demyx. He needed relief as he used all of his items; between the two of us, my supply also ran empty. Our HP was low, yet Sora had a seemingly endless supply of recovery items.

"I can't do this anymore!" Demyx shouted as he dodged one of Donald's spells, rushing towards me.

"Don't give up!" Goofy encouraged his disgruntled comrade.

We had one final option, one that I am sure Demyx rarely used; I myself reserved for emergencies.

"Limit Break, at the count of three." During our counts, we pushed Sora and his friends away from us so we could initiate the Limits; at three, we combined our elements to create the prime example of teamwork that Organization XIII will ever see.

Alas, neither of us were able to see this example come to fruition for I remember nothing else afterwards.

…

"Man, that was scary!"

"Nearly losing two of our number, what good would come out of that?"

I opened my eyes to find myself nearby the entrance of the Underworld with two Nobodies hunched over me—Xigbar and Luxord. I cautiously sat up, ignoring the weakness that overcame me. Demyx was next to me, regaining consciousness.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"Sitar-boy here wouldn't shut up about the semifinals," Xigbar explained, motioning towards the musician. "Naturally, Luxord and I had to see if you guys would come out on top."

"You owe me 10000 Munny," Luxord added.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get it to ya sometime," he disregarded the debt. "But seriously, you guys came so close to winning. I couldn't believe the officials didn't even give you guys a trophy just for the performance!"

"We lost?" Demyx asked weakly. His head drooped out of disappointment. If I had a heart, this is where I would feel a strong sense of guilt, directed towards myself.

"We did, but think instead of what you learned during the tournament," I advised. Take that knowledge and use it to better prepare yourself for the next mission."

When I handed in the reports the next day, I received another earful from Saïx. He was even more displeased than before. It did not matter that the semifinals were neither afterhours, nor that we lost nor had excellent teamwork. I deviated from his schedule, and he would speak to the Superior about this issue; I did not mention that Saïx stated this to me on my previous infraction. Instead, the second-in-command took matters into his own hands.

"I have a mission for you tomorrow," he handed me a sheet of paper, "this will teach you to not deter from my schedule."

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What will happen next? Wait until Report V and find out! Please Read and Review!


	5. Report V

Thanks for reading! Just a quick note, this is the longest report yet. A whole lot happens with this mission. Lexaeus has a lot to report to the Superior.

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Report V

After viewing Saïx's mission briefing, I may consider not crossing him again: no one is sent to the Deep Jungle without good reason. I have yet to visit it myself, but heard from Xaldin the horrific conditions of the world. Very little is known of it beyond the humidity and constant rainstorms; our mission is to find and observe the locals. From previous reports, there are large creatures inhabiting the jungle, but no one has dared a closer examination of them.

For any degree of comfort, I am not alone on this mission; Larxene is accompanying me, but not of her own volition. I am unaware of the exact conditions, but it seems that she is also on Saïx's bad side. But who is truly able to please the second-in-command?

-Superior, I do apologize for that last comment. Saïx is occasionally too skilled at his job.-

I digress. The difficulty of the upcoming mission required me to spend a day preparing; I needed to gain more experience points and synthesize more powerful items with the Moogle. It would have been ideal to collaborate with Larxene, however, she is impossible to find and when found is not friendly. I only hope that we find the large creatures quickly in hopes that the time spent together is minimal.

In order to keep tabs on everyone while I was gone, I decided to employ Zexion's assistance. He seemed perplexed at my secret mission; I was impressed that he was unaware of it until I informed him.

"Why would the Superior care about how we interact with each other?" he asked. I shook my head, still unsure of what the mission's underlying purpose. "Idle gossip is irrelevant to Kingdom Hearts," Zexion elaborated. "Unless he is considering one of us for elimination. But then, why would he choose you to determine if we are fit for service?"

"I play no specific role here," I explained. "That was Xemnas' reason."

We remained in the Grey Area, silently exchanging glances as we pondered the secret mission. It was towards the end of the day, I completed my pre-mission work, minus finding Larxene. Most of everyone returned from their daily missions and convened to exchange stories, just as Zexion and I were at that moment.

"This could be for Castle Oblivion," the schemer suggested. "I have yet to discover who will move there. It would make sense to group those of us who work well together in hopes of achieving our goals."

This was the most logical conclusion to date, yet there was still a question that bothered me: why not allow Saïx the liberty of assigning us? His knowledge of our personalities is sounder than what my reports will produce. That will have to wait, as I must endure my perilous mission.

…

I was thankful that I arrived early to the Grey Area the next day, for Larxene already waited for me. She appeared as sullen externally as I could have felt inside.

"About time," she muttered. "Let's get this stupid mission over with. I have better things to do than get lost in a stupid jungle." I nodded in agreement, coming to the decision that the fewer words I said, the more pleasant she would be.

This world did not appear as terrible as previously depicted: it was warm already when we arrived, but it was barely noon. We arrived at a rundown tree house; the jungle readily consumed the once civilized area. I am sure that when the house was in operation, it was quite the safe haven from the outside world. We searched opposite ends of the area for clues about the previous occupants.

"Let me get one thing straight," Larxene began sharply. "I do not need a babysitter, so if that's what you're going to do, then you might as well as leave." I made no acknowledgement of her statement, but continued rummaging through a deteriorating trunk. "Saïx and I had a little disagreement on the definition of 'complete without detection' and this is what he decides to do. That's the end of that story. Got it, meathead?"

I honestly did not appreciate the nickname, but considering her anger was directed at Saïx and not myself, I chose to disregard it.

"I am on poor terms with Saïx as well."

"That's right, you helped whiney Demyx," she recalled. "I bet X-face loved that—"

A growl came from above us: we found a spotted leopard staring at us, teeth bared, prepared to attack. I was unsure of the best course of action as Heartless usually do not behave this way—they are much less fearsome than the massive feline. We had little time to decide, so we ran. Larxene's natural swiftness kept her ahead of the predator; I do not pride myself on speed, but was able to knock over furniture to hinder the enemy. It was ample time to leap off the edge of the tree house into the jungle below: not my choice.

We landed on a large branch far below; it did not break upon our landing, however ungraceful it was. There were no signs of the leopard, but instead a clear view of the sky. The sunlight was obscured by rainclouds that suddenly, if inconveniently, chose to commence an endless downpour upon us.

"I hate this jungle already," Larxene complained as she rubbed moss off her coat. "Couldn't we go somewhere more civilized?"

"Agrabah?" I suggested as I rose to my feet and pulled my hood up. I glanced at her and found something profound—a smirk on her face, not a cynical one either, right before it was obscured by her hood. Was Larxene as hostile as everyone else describes her?

I put that question aside as we observed our surroundings. The leopard was nowhere to be seen, but so were the locals we were to observe. The jungle was thick with trees and plant life and the increasing cloud cover decreased our visibility to the ground. This mission seemed to be pointless already.

"Look at that!" In a distant clearing, a group of dark creatures huddled together. "Heartless?" she pondered, looking to me for an answer. I peered again and nodded, for I knew no other creatures that huddled in that manner.

Armed with our weapons, we teleported to the clearing, prepared to defeat the horde of Heartless. Much to our surprise, however, they were not Heartless at all, but baby gorillas. Upon our dramatic entrance, they remained motionless, but watched us with their bright eyes. The awkward stare continued as rain fell on us. If I had a heart, it would be warmed by their innocence; Larxene certainly transformed into a different person when one of them crawled towards her. I am sure that the others would expect her to shun the creature, but I saw her reach down to pet it.

It was a truly peaceful moment and I regret that it had to end; at the edge of the clearing I saw an adult gorilla. Where there was one, I continued to find more, all quietly watching. The air was thick with tension and potential hostility.

"Larxene, we need to leave," I advised.

"Killjoy," she stood at full height, observing our surroundings. The gorillas' white teeth were visible through the layer of rain around us.

Before we were able to create a plan of action, or even to discuss RTC, gunfire rang through the clearing; gorillas rushed passed us to grab their young and left no trace for the hunter. He fired another shot before coming into our view. I quickly glanced at Larxene and then looked down at myself; neither of us were injured.

The hunter came into view: he was a disgruntled man, however suited for the jungle but completely soaked by the rain.

"Blast! Lost them again!" he shouted in a strange accent. "You there! Where did the gorillas go?"

"Why do we care?" Larxene snapped.

"I'm trying to protect them, see?" the hunter answered, motioning to his gun.

"And attack us? Are you that stupid?" Larxene took a few steps towards him.

"You look like gorillas from back there," the hunter explained. "Now tell me where they went!" Larxene crossed her arms defiantly, only angering the local. He approached her, slipping in the mud as he traversed. "I've been searching this jungle for months for the gorillas, and you are not going to stop me. Not Tarzan, not Jane, and not YOU!"

I had little intention of interfering, but with the hunter's aggression towards my comrade, I stepped forward to intervene, but slipped and fell in the mud. It was not pleasant, Larxene laughed at my expense. Whilst I attempted to wipe off the mud from my coat, she managed to resolve the issue in the only way she knew best: pulling out her knives and nimbly put the hunter in his place. Larxene seemed satisfied at the aftermath; the hunter was unconscious in the mud and I was still muddy.

"Clayton?" a woman's voice was audible from the direction the hunter came. "Clayton!"

I created a portal and motioned for Larxene to enter first. She walked towards it, but stopped.

"Don't tell anyone about the baby gorillas," she warned. "I really like them."

-Note to the Superior: While I did include this in the report, please be sure to not tell anyone.-

* * *

Note to the readers: Thanks for reading! Please review, it helps me improve my writing and get to know my audience! I apologize for the length, but it was difficult to shorten the adventure of the Deep Jungle!


	6. Report VI

-AN: I apologize deeply for not posting in the past several months. Personal issues (seeking employment) and a brief loss of interest in the story caused me to unexpectedly leave. Now that life has settled down again, I will resume The Lexaeus Reports with a fresh look. My goal is to have thirteen chapters, and sometimes coming up with coherent narratives for all of them can be a challenge. Thank you all for reading the previous reports, and I hope you enjoy this next one! Please don't forget to Read and Review, I would love your constructive feedback!-

Report VI

-Note to Superior: I remain unsure of what your expectations are for these reports, as you have yet to send me any acknowledgement of receiving them. However, I must apologize if the next two reports are repetitive for I am aware of your interference with the following events. My intention is to explain my role in what occurred, though I am afraid that, due to my extended participation, there will be two separate reports.-

I saw no one once I returned from my mission in the Deep Jungle; the mud rendered me unpresentable and the rain soaked through the coat. Once those issues were resolved, I had no energy to seek Zexion; I resolved to find him first thing tomorrow. In reality, it was quite the opposite: Zexion found me on my way to the Grey Area.

"Lexaeus, I was unable to collect intel for you yesterday," he greeted in an exasperated voice. "I was overcome with a task, it may also come to your hands today." Whatever was bothering Vexen found its way to the schemer, but that was all he told me as we headed away from the Grey Area. "Vexen requested you specifically today as well as myself to put an end to this."

Our resident scientist is expected to work on his own, but he occasionally requires assistance; this post is filled by Zexion and myself, unofficially. Zexion does not mind filling this role; he is trusted in the laboratory to provide a secondary perspective on certain projects. Though most find Vexen to be a nuisance, Zexion seems to be one of the few Nobodies that Vexen willingly tolerates for an extended period of time. Vexen is generally calm unless provoked, irked from a previous encounter, asked a question he cannot answer, or proven wrong. As we ambled towards the laboratory, Zexion informed me that these four variables occurred more frequently as of late.

Personally, I prefer to keep my interactions with Vexen to a minimum; thankfully, he only seeks me when he is in need of someone to take a mission off his hands. Saïx assigns our resident scientist to light recon missions in hopes that Vexen will see the missions as an opportunity to take a break. But they are nothing but busywork for him, so he finds a more field-oriented individual who will work for a favor in return.

Vexen owes me.

"Lexaeus, glad to finally see you," Vexen began, allowing us inside the laboratory. As I looked around, I noticed that he made the lab his home; tucked away in a corner was a makeshift bed. "I don't know how aware you are of the crisis, but I do believe that someone is watching me." I glanced around the lab, but saw no one and no obvious signs, beyond Vexen's diversified living spaces and the odd number of items packed away in boxes. "Zexion doubts me as well," the scientist remarked, glaring at him for a moment before returning to our conversation.

"But I have proof," Vexen paused, expecting me to rhetorically ask for the proof, though he should know better than to demand such theatrics from me. After an awkward pause where I made this clear, he cleared his throat and continued, "the Superior entrusted me with a certain project involving memory, through this, I was able to utilize my specialty in creating replicas in hopes of furthering our efforts."

"What does this have to do with someone watching you?" I asked, hoping to keep the scientist on track. He did not take my question well.

"I was arriving at that point, thank you," he snapped. "I need to emphasize how important it is that I find that code for No. II, otherwise, I will only have one perfect replica for the Superior, when he is expecting more from a man of my genius. "

"That still doesn't answer the question," Zexion pointed out. "We searched for the code yesterday with the fine-toothed comb but it did not yield any results. What does the code have to do with constant surveillance?"

"Patience, Zexion," Vexen sighed. "If you'd stop interrupting me, then I can tie all of this together. Now, Lexaeus, I need you to be my bodyguard." My reluctance to this task was noticeable only to Zexion. "Never mind, Lexaeus. I have a different use for you," he thought for a minute, and then revised his request, "I need you to stand guard in the laboratory, so I may roam freely and further investigate the sabotage. If the fool has the audacity to attack me, I am fully prepared to defend myself."

"I highly doubt that any of us would attack you without reason," Zexion objected.

"Clearly you have no enemies here," Vexen remarked. "If I was assigned to Castle Oblivion, then I would have less of a chance of seeing them."

Zexion quickly informed me that Saïx made an announcement yesterday about the upcoming selection for Castle Oblivion. While most of us were excited at moving to a new location, Vexen was mainly concerned for his experiments. He stated this again while Zexion informed me of the news.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of space for your experiments, especially if there are only six of us going," Zexion commented in weary voice. Evidently, other than the missing code, Castle Oblivion was the only thing on Vexen's mind yesterday.

"Have you asked Saïx about the situation?" I asked, hoping to construct a plan before discussing Castle Oblivion.

"Yes, but he was completely useless," Vexen's anger climbed as he further explained, "He refused to start an investigation when I sought his aid. I told Saïx that the Superior personally oversaw the project," he clenched his fists and one of his eyes twitched. "I need to find that code. I cannot face the Superior with such a blunder, yet Saïx is completely useless and the least accommodating of my situation. He does not see what importance I am to the Organization."

We remained silent, concluding in our minds that it was up to the three of us to find this data to aid Vexen's project. Zexion and I are one of the few aware of the project Vexen spoke of, though all three of us remain unconscious of the deeper meaning of replicas and memories and how it relates to obtaining Kingdom Hearts.

"Vexen, if you believe that the code is no longer in the lab, then it's useless to search it again," Zexion decided. "We should broaden the search to the rest of the castle."

"My thoughts exactly," Vexen replied, hand on his chin as he analyzed the possibility, resuming his typical personality. "We need to start an interrogation. I have not ventured the castle much in the past several days, and the places I went to have already been searched. The investigation will accelerate if we interrogate the others."

"If discretion is our objective, then interrogation will not be suitable," I interjected.

"But we need aggression in order to extract the truth from the guilty one," Vexen argued. "Not having a heart makes lying easier." Zexion and I briefly exchanged concerned glances; the statement was too cryptic for our scientist. "I have an idea," Vexen's eyes brightened, "I cannot interrogate the suspects because they will already know what I am after. But if you two go in my stead, they will be more likely to tell the truth."

In the end, after some persuasion, Zexion and I took it up ourselves to seek out everyone we could find and ask them of their whereabouts when the code was stolen, leaving Vexen to pack for Castle Oblivion; he found a note confirming his assignment and let out a shrill cry of glee. Now, with his temper contained, Zexion and I could have a few moments of peace.


End file.
